Department for Transport

Diesel Vehicles: Sales

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will introduce a ban on the sale of new diesel vehicles in 2030.

Jesse Norman: The Government’s ambition is for almost every car and van to be zero emission by 2050. In order to achieve this, we have said we will end the sale of new conventional petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2040. The UK was the first major economy in the world to set out such a challenging ambition for new vehicle sales. Our ambition is supported by one of the most comprehensive packages of support in the world for ultra low emission vehicles, which is why we have one of the biggest markets for these vehicles in Europe. Meeting the 2040 commitment should be industry-led, with Government monitoring developments closely, and we will consider intervening if not enough progress is being made.

Heathrow Airport: Railways

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to undertake a Stage 3 GRIP analysis to establish the options for new rail capacity south of Heathrow.

Joseph Johnson: The Government recently published the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline (RNEP) which provides a clear framework for how we will continue to enhance our railway. This sets out a rolling programme of investment with clear options and decision points for railway enhancements as they develop. Options for new rail capacity south of Heathrow will be taken forward in accordance with the RNEP approach. This does not directly align with the Governance for Railway Investment Projects (GRIP) stages used by Network Rail, although investment decisions may be supported by, or use elements of GRIP stages.

Heathrow Airport: Southern

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on regeneration of the proposal for Southern Rail access to Heathrow.

Joseph Johnson: New connectivity to Heathrow Airport from the south could provide a real boost to the economy, creating new journey opportunities and encouraging modal shift. As part of the national ‘Call for Ideas’ for Market Led Proposals (announced 20 March), registrations of interest that support Government’s aspiration for a Southern Rail Link were welcomed. This will inform the further work required before any decisions on whether to and, if so, how this scheme will be progressed and funded.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Domestic Appliances: Safety

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that recalled electrical goods are not offered for sale; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Griffiths: Electrical products intended for use by consumers, are regulated under the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations. The Government is clear that when a safety issue is identified in a product already on the market, corrective action should be taken swiftly and with sufficient resource to ensure it is effective. Retailers, including retailers of second-hand goods, also have a duty to ensure that any products they sell meet the legal safety requirements and are not subject to relevant corrective action.

New Businesses: West Midlands

Lucy Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the number of business start-ups in (a) the Telford constituency, (b) Telford and Wrekin borough, (c) Shropshire and (d) the West Midlands in each year since 2010.

Andrew Griffiths: The Office for National Statistics’ Business Demography survey details the change in number of UK businesses. When looking at business start-ups we look at business births. The Office of National Statistics defines business births as new business registrations. The following table gives the number of business births in the Telford Constituency, Telford and Wrekin Borough, Shropshire and the West Midlands from 2010 to 2016. Business Births2010201120122013201420152016Telford235255285365335340385Telford and Wrekin Borough430470505640625635670Shropshire1,0201,1051,0601,3801,3151,3501,290West Midlands17,80519,55519,65025,73525,74529,35034,700

Renewable Energy: Contracts

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to enable onshore wind and solar developers to compete for low cost power contracts in areas where communities accept such developments.

Claire Perry: Onshore wind and solar PV are potential sources of low cost renewable energy capacity. Government policy has already brought forward nearly 13GW of large scale onshore wind and 13GW of solar PV. We do not believe that new large scale onshore wind power is right for England, but it could be right for other areas, where local public support exists. We are currently considering ways in which further onshore wind and solar PV capacity could be accessed. The Government has secured state aid approval to classify remote island wind as a separate technology in Pot 2 of the CFD scheme. The Clean Growth Strategy announced that we would provide up to £557m in total of annual funding for future CFD allocation rounds. We have consulted on how the Government could support the development of onshore wind projects on remote islands, where they benefit local communities, and are currently considering the responses we have received.

Wind Power: Seas and Oceans

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of developing floating offshore wind power technology on the economy of (a) Scotland and (b) the UK.

Claire Perry: The potential effect on the UK and Scottish economy would depend upon a number of factors including the size of the projects, their individual procurement plans and the levels of local content achieved. Whilst floating offshore wind is still at a relatively early stage of development, it could have a role in the long-term decarbonisation and contribute to our Industrial Strategy, if it can demonstrate that it can bring down costs and compete with other forms of low carbon generation.

Renewable Energy: Training

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of a transition training fund to enable employees in the fossil fuel industry to move to the renewable energy sector.

Claire Perry: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 23rd March 2018 to Question 132262.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

British Overseas Territories: Homosexuality

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that all homosexual citizens in British Overseas Territories have access to the institution of marriage.

Sir Alan Duncan: We are pleased that the British Antarctic Territory, the British Indian Ocean Territory, the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, the Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena, Ascension, Tristan da Cunha, and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands have all taken steps to recognise and enable same-sex marriage. The Domestic Partnership Act passed in Bermuda in February 2018, removed the right to marry but replaced it with a provision for domestic partnerships with the same benefits as married couples. The Foreign Secretary has raised with the Premier of Bermuda his hope that the Domestic Partnership Act will be a stepping stone to putting same sex marriage on a statutory footing in the future.The European Court of Human Rights has not, so far, interpreted the Convention to include a right to marry for same sex couples and has stopped short of finding a positive obligation generally to introduce protection equivalent to marriage. Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, the Turks and Caicos Islands, Montserrat and the Cayman Islands do not yet have in place legislation that provides for the recognition of same sex relationships whether by civil unions, civil partnerships or marriage. The new Governor of the Cayman Islands has publicly supported the introduction of civil unions and has urged the Premier and Leader of the Opposition to consider legislative change. There is a provision in the Cayman Islands' Constitution that provides that any person may apply to the Grand Court to determine compatibility with the Bill of Rights.The European Convention on Human Rights applies to all the Overseas Territories. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon raised the need to ensure that human rights obligations are upheld, in his meeting with the Premier of the Cayman Islands in October 2017, and with the Governments of all the Caribbean Overseas Territories at the Joint Ministerial Council in November 2017. He will continue to raise the issue of LGBT equality with Territory Governments.

Cayman Islands: Politics and Government

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the compatibility of the Cayman Islands'  ban on (a) civil unions, (b) civil partnerships and (c) same-sex marriage with the (i) Cayman Islands Constitution and (ii) UK's international treaty obligations.

Sir Alan Duncan: We are pleased that the British Antarctic Territory, the British Indian Ocean Territory, the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, the Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena, Ascension, Tristan da Cunha, and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands have all taken steps to recognise and enable same-sex marriage. The Domestic Partnership Act passed in Bermuda in February 2018, removed the right to marry but replaced it with a provision for domestic partnerships with the same benefits as married couples. The Foreign Secretary has raised with the Premier of Bermuda his hope that the Domestic Partnership Act will be a stepping stone to putting same sex marriage on a statutory footing in the future.The European Court of Human Rights has not, so far, interpreted the Convention to include a right to marry for same sex couples and has stopped short of finding a positive obligation generally to introduce protection equivalent to marriage. Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, the Turks and Caicos Islands, Montserrat and the Cayman Islands do not yet have in place legislation that provides for the recognition of same sex relationships whether by civil unions, civil partnerships or marriage. The new Governor of the Cayman Islands has publicly supported the introduction of civil unions and has urged the Premier and Leader of the Opposition to consider legislative change. There is a provision in the Cayman Islands' Constitution that provides that any person may apply to the Grand Court to determine compatibility with the Bill of Rights.The European Convention on Human Rights applies to all the Overseas Territories. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon raised the need to ensure that human rights obligations are upheld, in his meeting with the Premier of the Cayman Islands in October 2017, and with the Governments of all the Caribbean Overseas Territories at the Joint Ministerial Council in November 2017. He will continue to raise the issue of LGBT equality with Territory Governments.

Syria: Military Intervention

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what preparations his Department is making to impose sanctions on Russian individuals and organisations implicated in war crimes and crimes against humanity in Syria.

Alistair Burt: The UK is committed to ensuring that those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Syria are held to account. There are already robust EU sanctions in place to limit the Asad regime's ability to wage war on the Syrian civilian population and pressure the regime, and their backers, to cease hostilities and engage meaningfully with the UN-led political process. However, at present, no Russian individuals or entities are sanctioned under EU Syria sanctions. We have repeatedly condemned Russian support for the Asad regime which has prolonged the conflict and worsened the suffering of the Syrian people.

Syria: Armed Conflict

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, pursuant to Answer of 28 March 2018 to Question 133654, on Syria: Armed Conflict, which armed Syrian opposition groups the UK has trained since 2012; and what was included in that training.

Alistair Burt: In 2016, through the Ministry of Defence, the UK participated in the US-led Train and Equip Programme, which aimed to train and equip screened members of the Syrian moderate opposition in the region at locations outside Syria. The training focused on basic infantry tactics, command and control, explosive hazard awareness training (EHAT) and medical training in order to build the capacity of forces whose operations on the ground against Daesh are being supported by the Global Coalition.Through the Conflict Stability and Security Fund we have also funded some projects in which certain armed groups of the Syrian moderate opposition have been involved. These have included communications and medical training and, since 2015, projects to support stability in southern Syria. For security reasons, we do not disclose the names of those moderate opposition groups supported.

Syria: Overseas Aid

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, pursuant to the Answer of 28 March 2018 to Question 133664 on Syria: Overseas Aid, what support the UK has provided (a) directly and (b) indirectly, to Ahrar al-Sham.

Alistair Burt: The UK has not provided any support to Ahrar al-Sham. The Department For International Development and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have extensive controls in place to ensure that our aid and project support reaches only those for whom it is intended.

Syria: Armed Conflict

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer  of 28 March 2018 to Question 133666 on Syria: armed conflict, what the breakdown of the £32 million support for opposition groups was for each year in the period 2011-17.

Alistair Burt: Through the Conflict Pool and its successor, the Conflict Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) for Syria, the UK has provided political support and some practical support to certain groups among the moderate armed opposition. The breakdown of the £32m of support for the period 2011-2017 is as follows.Financial Year Support12/13 £1m13/14 £1.2m14/15 £2.5m15/16 £11.5m16/17 £15.8m

Libya: Armed Conflict

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government was in communication with (a) Liwa al-Ummah and (b) the Tripoli Brigade during the war in Libya in 2011.

Alistair Burt: In 2011, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office was in communication with a wide range of Libyans involved in the conflict against Qadhafi regime forces. Given the fluid nature of armed group formations and individual affiliations throughout that period, it is not possible to confirm whether this included contact with individuals who may have had some association with Liwa al-Ummah and the Tripoli Brigade.We have always been clear that there is no place for terrorism or extremism in Libya and we fully support Libyan efforts to tackle the terrorist threat. The UK is working closely with the Libyan Government and international partners to deliver a comprehensive approach to stabilisation, security and post-conflict reconstruction, which will tackle the root causes of violent extremism in Libya.

Bahraini Ministry of Interior Ombudsman

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, against which criteria the Government is measuring the effectiveness of the Bahraini Ministry of the Interior Ombudsman.

Alistair Burt: Our Embassy in Bahrain has a continuing dialogue with the Government of Bahrain and all Bahraini human rights oversight bodies. The British Government believes that a body with the power to investigate allegations of mistreatment in a timely, independent and transparent manner can be of great benefit to Bahraini society.The Bahraini Ministry of Interior Ombudsman was established as an independent oversight body by Royal Decree in 2012. In 2013 the International Ombudsman Institute acknowledged that the Ministry of Interior Ombudsman fulfils its criteria for voting membership, stating that the organisation "is functionally independent of any public authority over which jurisdiction is held." It was the first organisation of its kind in the region and remains unique. In 2014 the Ministry of Interior Ombudsman's Office won the EU's Chaillot Prize for the promotion of human rights in the Gulf Cooperation Council region.

India: Discrimination

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Indian counterpart on recent protests against the ruling of that country’s Supreme Court on the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Act of 1989 dated 20 March 2018; and if he will make a statement.

Boris Johnson: Holding answer received on 19 April 2018



I have not held any discussions with my Indian counterpart on this issue.

India: Discrimination

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the Indian Supreme Court’s ruling of 20 March 2018 on the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Act of 1989 on (a) levels of caste-based discrimination and violence in India and (b) the ability of any victims of such discriminatory or violent acts to seek legal redress in that country’s courts.

Boris Johnson: Holding answer received on 19 April 2018



India’s Government has filed a petition to review the 20 March Supreme Court ruling. This is currently being considered. I believe it is right to let India’s executive and judiciary settle this issue within the country’s constitutional and judicial framework.In order to support Dalit women who are victims of violence in gaining access to justice, the British Government runs programmes with local partners, including training and engaging state Criminal Justice officials across five States.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Office: Public Expenditure

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the Written Statement of 13 March 2018, Spring Statement, HCWS 540, if he will publish a list of where the £0.4 million in EU exit funding for his Department will be allocated.

Mr Shailesh Vara: The Department has been allocated £0.4m for essential EU exit preparations in 2018-19. This will be spent on policy and legal work to ensure that Northern Ireland’s interests are fully represented, considered and managed across a range of subjects as the UK leaves the EU. As with all Reserve funding, finalised allocations will be confirmed at Supplementary Estimates 2018-19 in early 2019.

Northern Ireland Office: Recruitment

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what proportion of job roles advertised within her Department in (a) 2016 and (b) 2017 excluded the box under the Ban the Box initiative.

Mr Shailesh Vara: The Department uses the recruitment services of the Ministry of Justice. The Ministry of Justice implemented the Ban the Box initiative in October 2016, and since then all roles have been advertised without the early requirement to declare convictions, i.e. the ‘tick box’ has been removed. Data prior to this date is unavailable due to a change in the Ministry of Justice recruitment system in December 2016.

Northern Ireland Office: Recruitment

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what her Department's implementation plan is for banning the box on job applications.

Mr Shailesh Vara: The Department uses the recruitment services of the Ministry of Justice who implemented banning the box on job applications in October 2016.

Northern Ireland Office: Living Wage

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many (a) direct employees, (b) agency staff and (c) outsourced staff working for (i) her Department and (ii) agencies of her Department are paid less than the living wage, as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.

Mr Shailesh Vara: No direct employees, agency staff or outsourced staff working for the Department are paid less than the living wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.

Northern Ireland Office: Travellers

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General of 2 November 2016, Official Report, column 879, what progress his Department has made in using the 2011 census classifications that differentiate Gypsies and Travellers.

Mr Shailesh Vara: The Race Disparity Audit website displays data where possible using the Census 2011 ethnic categories, which includes Gypsy or Irish Traveller. My Department has not contributed directly to the Audit as it does not deliver any front line services to the people of Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland Office: Travellers

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, since 2016, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General of 2 November 2016, Official Report, column 879, and pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2018 to Question 134113, on Travellers: Equality, what meetings (a) she and (b) her predecessor have had since 2016 with the Minister for the Cabinet Office on using the 2011 census classifications that differentiate Gypsies and Travellers.

Mr Shailesh Vara: The Race Disparity Audit Inter Ministerial Group chaired by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster discusses matters pertaining to the progress of the Race Disparity Audit, including on the collection of ethnicity data.

Electronic Voting: Northern Ireland

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether her Department has assessed the viability of online voting in Northern Ireland elections.

Mr Shailesh Vara: The Government made a firm commitment in its 2017 manifesto to retain the traditional method of voting by pencil and paper. The introduction of online voting would require very careful consideration and the Government currently has no plans to introduce or pilot online voting. There are concerns that electronic voting, by any means, is not seen by many to be suitably rigorous and secure, and could be vulnerable to attack or fraud. However, we remain interested to hear about the responses received by the Scottish and Welsh governments to their respective consultations on this issue.

Department of Health and Social Care

Parkinson's Disease

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time people with Parkinson’s disease to (a) be assessed for deep brain stimulation and (b) receive deep brain stimulation treatment, in each of the last three years.

Steve Brine: Information regarding the average waiting time people with Parkinson’s disease to be assessed for deep brain stimulation is not collected. The following table shows the number of finished admission episodes (FAEs) for patients with a primary diagnosis of Parkinson's disease and a main procedure of deep brain stimulation and the mean elective wait for the procedure in the financial years between 2014-15 and 2016-17. Financial yearFAEsMean waiting time (days)2014-1513553.642015-1618969.622016-17264107.47Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS Digital. Note: An FAE is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FAEs are counted against the year or month in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the period.

In Vitro Fertilisation

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of IVF cycles in 2013 in which at least 20 eggs were collected.

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of IVF cycles in 2014 in which at least 20 eggs were collected.

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of IVF cycles in 2015 in which at least 20 eggs were collected.

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of IVF cycles in 2016 in which at least 20 eggs were collected.

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of IVF cycles in 2017 in which at least 20 eggs were collected.

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of egg donor cycles in 2013 in which at least 20 eggs were collected.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The information requested is shown in the following table:  Cycles in which 20+ fresh eggs collectedYearNumber of cycles where reason for treatment is in vitro fertilisation treatment or egg shareNumber of cycles where reason for treatment is donation or research20133,55323320143,284-20153,362-20163,201-20173,357-Source: Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority Register. Data as at 22 January 2018. Note: Data has only been verified up to June 2015

In Vitro Fertilisation

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of IVF cycles in which more than 30 eggs were collected in the last five years.

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of IVF cycles in which more than 40 eggs were collected in the last five years.

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of IVF cycles in which more than 50 eggs were collected in the last five years.

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of IVF cycles in which more than 60 eggs were collected in the last five years.

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of IVF cycles in which more than 70 eggs were collected in the last five years.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The information requested is shown in the following table: YearsTotal number of cyclesCycles in which 31+ fresh eggs collectedCycles in which 41+ fresh eggs collectedCycles in which 51+ fresh eggs collectedCycles in which 61+ fresh eggs collectedCycles in which 71+ fresh eggs collected2013-17327,9411,860259448Less than 5Source: Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority Register. Data as at 22 January 2018Note:Data has only been verified up to June 2015

In Vitro Fertilisation

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority places limitations on the number of times an egg donor can be stimulated with drugs to donate eggs in each year.

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority places limitations on the number of times an egg donor can be stimulated with drugs to donate eggs in her lifetime.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has advised that it does not currently place a limitation on the number of times an egg donor can be stimulated with drugs to donate eggs in each year or during her lifetime. The number of times and frequency at which a woman can donate is a clinical decision, which can vary from woman to woman.

Female Genital Mutilation

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with NHS England on the decision to disband its specialist team focused on combating female genital mutilation.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with NHS England on ensuring that there is co-ordination between local (a) NHS trusts, (b) police forces and (c) police and crime commissioners as a result of the decision to disband the specialist team in NHS England focused on such co-ordination.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with NHS England on ensuring NHS staff are appropriately trained in how to detect and report female genital mutilation (FGM) and support patients who have been subjected to FGM after the decision was taken to disband the specialist FGM team.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Prevention Programme funded by the Department and partnered with NHS England concluded on 31 March 2018 – it was always the intention that the Programme would conclude at this point. Since its launch, the Programme has worked closely with regional safeguarding teams across England, and these teams will be carrying on the work across the National Health Service in England to tackle FGM. Discussions, coordination and multi-agency work between the NHS and various partner agencies including the police and PPCs will therefore continue as part of this. Governance and monitoring and planning was built into the FGM Prevention Programme framework since its launch in 2014, including plans to conclude the Programme and arrangements for the work to be taken forward after April 2018. To support staff in their FGM prevention work, the FGM Prevention Programme developed a package of health-specific FGM materials providing guidance on safeguarding, commissioning of services, and guidance around the mandatory reporting duty It also held national awareness raising roadshows for over 6,000 professionals and commissioned comprehensive FGM e-learning with Health Education England, free to all NHS staff which has been completed by over 11,000 people on the e-learning for health website between January 2016 and February 2018.

Female Genital Mutilation

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with NHS England on how strategic planning to combat female genital mutilation will take place after the decision was taken to disband the specialist team  focused on that issue.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Prevention Programme funded by the Department and partnered with NHS England concluded on 31 March 2018 – it was always the intention that the Programme would conclude at this point. Governance, monitoring and planning was built into the FGM Prevention Programme framework since its launch in 2014, including plans to conclude the Programme and arrangements for the work to be taken forward after April 2018. Since its launch, the Programme has worked closely with regional safeguarding teams across England, and these teams will be carrying on the work to tackle FGM across the National Health Service in England. Discussions, coordination and multi-agency work between the NHS and various partner agencies will also continue, now that the Programme has ended.

Epilepsy: Health Services

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the recent Public Health England report on deaths associated with neurological conditions in England 2001-14, what steps his Department is taking to improve epilepsy services in the most deprived areas.

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the recent Public Health England report on deaths associated with neurological conditions in England 2001-14, what steps he is taking to prioritise (a) epilepsy care provision and (b) research on premature epilepsy mortality.

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Public Health England report on deaths associated with neurological conditions in England 2001-14, What steps his Department are taking to tackle the link between epilepsy mortality and deprivation highlighted in that report; and if he will make a statement.

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Public Health England report on deaths associated with neurological conditions in England 2001-14, what steps his Department has taken to reduce the number of epilepsy related deaths; and if he will make a statement.

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Public Health England report on deaths associated with neurological conditions in England 2001-14, what discussions his Department has had with NHS England on the priority to be accorded to neurological services; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Brine: The Public Health England (PHE) report Deaths associated with neurological conditions in England 2001 to 2014, was developed by PHE’s Neurology Intelligence Network (NIN), and published on 27 February 2018. The report found that a greater proportion of epilepsy related deaths occur in areas of higher levels of deprivation. A copy of the report can be found at the following link: www.gov.uk/government/publications/deaths-associated-with-neurological-conditions Wider research has shown that epilepsy prevalence varies with social deprivation, but this is not well understood, and it is not clear whether this inequality in mortality is the consequence of the increased prevalence seen in deprived areas, of poor care, or both. However, deprivation is a well-known determinant of poor general health, and although there is insufficient evidence to describe the relationship as causal, it underlines the health inequalities link in relation to epilepsy related deaths. The Government is acting broadly to reduce health inequalities by addressing the social causes of ill health, promoting healthier lifestyles for all and tackling differences in outcomes of NHS services, all underpinned by legal duties. Through the Mandate the Government has asked NHS England to ensure service commissioning focuses on measurable reductions in inequalities in access to health services, in people’s experience of the health system, and across a specified range of health outcomes which contribute to reducing inequalities in life expectancy and healthy life expectancy. National and local outcomes frameworks feature indicators to measure improvements across a range of areas, including inequalities, and the Mandate asks NHS England to do more in increasing the transparency on services and outcomes that these frameworks provide.At a national level, NHS England is the organisation responsible for securing and supporting high quality outcomes for people with epilepsy, and the vast majority of services for people with the condition are planned and commissioned by local clinical commissioning groups. Action is led locally to ensure the solutions put in place reflect the needs of individual communities. NHS England’s Rightcare programme provides practical support to local commissioners to tackle unwarranted variation, including in services for neurological conditions like epilepsy. NHS England is also working with the Neurological Alliance to support a new Neurology Advisory Group, led by Professor Adrian Williams, to align work across the system to improve neurological care. In addition to developing the neurology mortality report, PHE’s NIN provides a broad range of data on disease, services and outcomes, including for epilepsy, to support local commissioners to benchmark services and drive improvement. The new neurology mortality report will provide further focus for commissioners in considering whether there are any changes they need to make in terms of service planning and provision, including around the inequality issues identified. Ministers routinely meet the system leaders to discuss a broad range of issues concerning population health, including long term health problems. The Department works closely with NHS England and PHE to support delivery of the Mandate and systems objectives. The Department and NHS England are also represented on PHE’s NIN. NHS England officials hope to meet with the charity SUDEP (Sudden unexpected death from epilepsy) Action shortly to discuss the findings of the PHE report. We are investing over £1 billion a year in health research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), and the NIHR has advised that it is not currently funding any research into premature epilepsy mortality. The usual practice of the NIHR is not to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics: research proposals in all areas compete for the funding available. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including epilepsy. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.

Prisoners: Hepatitis

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 29 March 2018 to Questions 134201, 134202 and 134203, on Prisoners: Hepatitis, if he will publish the Health and Justice Indicators of Performance data for the number of prisoners by prison that have (a) been tested for hepatitis C, (b) been diagnosed with hepatitis C and (c) received treatment for hepatitis C.

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 29 March 2018 to Questions 134202 and 134203, on Prisoners: Hepatitis, for what reason 48 per cent of prisoners diagnosed with hepatitis C in the first quarter of 2017-18 have yet to be referred to specialist care to have their infection treated.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Data collected via the Health and Justice Indicators of Performance is used by NHS England commissioners to performance manage healthcare providers in prisons. NHS England currently does not have plans to publish this data. Prison healthcare providers commissioned by NHS England are responsible for referring patients diagnosed with hepatitis C virus infection to specialist services for assessment and treatment. Public Health England is supporting a research study into barriers to accessing hepatitis C virus treatment for people in prison, due to be completed in September 2018. Identified issues to date include: length of stay in a specific prison; patient choice; development of referral pathways from prisons, and ‘run rates’ imposed on Operational Delivery Networks which limited the number of people treated per year

Mental Health Services: Hospital Beds

James Frith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 29 March 2018 to Question 133651 on Mental Health Services: North West, how many specialist in-patient mental health beds there were on 31 December 2017 in (a) Bury, (b) North West and (c) England.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The number of specialist, consultant-led in-patient mental health beds for adults and children’s services on 31 December 2017 are shown in the table.  Specialist in-patient mental health bedsBury174North West1,216England (national figure)9,349Source: NHS England Unify2 – KH03 Note: The KH03 collection does not give an overall number of inpatient mental health beds, as these are not all ‘consultant led’. Some mental health services are now run by multi-disciplinary teams rather than consultants, and the beds are therefore not consultant led and fall out of scope of the KH03.

Department for International Development

Yemen: Migrant Camps

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support her Department is providing to African migrants in migrant camps in Yemen.

Penny Mordaunt: The UN estimates that over 200,000 migrants and refugees have come from the Horn of Africa to Yemen over the last two years (2016 and 2017). DFID is providing up to £36 million to support displaced people and migrants in Yemen between 2017 and 2020. These funds are directed through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and International Organisation for Migration to protect the safety, dignity and basic rights of people, including African migrants in Yemen. These funds also support the UNHCR’s work in the Kharaz refugee camp in Lahj. Their work includes responding to sexual violence and violence against women, child protection, early childhood education, refugee legal assistance and detention monitoring.

Commonwealth: Rohingya

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, What plans she has to discuss the Rohingya crisis with her counterparts at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in April.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign Secretary and Canadian Foreign Minister co-hosted a roundtable event to discuss the Rohingya crisis with selected Commonwealth Foreign Ministers, including the Bangladeshi Foreign Minister, on 17 April. The event provided an opportunity for Commonwealth countries to stand in solidarity with Bangladesh in responding to this crisis.

Haiti: Overseas Aid

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what funding her Department has allocated to Haiti in response to the (a) 2010 earthquake and (b) 2010-11 outbreak of cholera in that country.

Alistair Burt: Data for all DFID’s spend is available in the Statistics on International Development publication at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statistics-on-international-development-2017 The amount DFID has spent in Haiti is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/659763/Table4c.ods

Haiti: Overseas Aid

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, to which organisations her Department allocated funding to deliver aid to Haiti as a result of the (a) 2010 earthquake and (b) 2010-11 outbreak of cholera in that country.

Alistair Burt: For the 2010 earthquake, we provided support through contributing to the International Federation of the Red Cross Emergency Appeal, Pan American Health Organisation, Merlin, Action Contre Le Faim, Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development, Humanity and Inclusion, Oxfam and the International Organisation for Migration to address urgent humanitarian need. To assist in enabling the international response, we provided support to the World Food Programme, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, CARE and the Government of Haiti. Additionally, we contributed to The Sun “Helping Haiti Appeal”. During the cholera response of 2010-2011, we provided support through Oxfam, Plan and the Pan American Health Organisation.

Bangladesh: Rohingya

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she has made representations to the Bangladeshi Government on its proposed transfer of Rohingya refugees to Bhasan Char island.

Alistair Burt: My officials and I have made clear to the Government of Bangladesh that any relocation of refugees must be safe, dignified and in accordance with international humanitarian principles, standards and laws. We have concerns and questions about the island’s fitness for this purpose and have raised those with the Government of Bangladesh. The UK Government has not been involved in plans for the proposed relocation of refugees to the island. We continue to work with our humanitarian partners to further understand this proposal and its suitability.

St Helena: Aviation

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many Medevac evacuations have taken place from St Helena in each of the last five years.

Alistair Burt: I refer the honourable member to the answer I gave to her earlier PQ 135170.

Department for International Development: Recruitment

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of job roles advertised within her Department in (a) 2016 and (b) 2017 excluded the box under the Ban the Box initiative.

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what her Department's implementation plan is for banning the box on job applications.

Alistair Burt: DFID applies the Ban the Box initiative to all recruitment campaigns subject to any exceptions for jobs with specific security requirements.

Department for International Development: Living Wage

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many (a) direct employees, (b) agency staff and (c) outsourced staff working for (i) her Department and (ii) agencies of her Department are paid less than the living wage, as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.

Alistair Burt: DFID do not have any employees who are paid less than the Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation. Nor do DFID have any workers in agencies that report to DFID who are paid less than the Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation. DFID encourages outsource partners to pay the Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation. None of DFID’s contracted workers are paid less than the National Living Wage.

Developing Countries: Disability

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to (a) promote and (b) help meet the targets set for tackling global disability contained within the Sustainable Development Goals, 4, 8, 10, 100 and 17.

Harriett Baldwin: Disability inclusion is a top priority for DFID, and we are taking steps to meet and promote the ambition of the Global Goals. Internally, we are scaling up programming and policy in key areas, for example on inclusive education. We are influencing partners including the UN, World Bank, national governments and the private sector to take action in this neglected area. In July, the UK will host a Global Disability Summit, driving progress to deliver the collective commitments made through the Global Goals.

Developing Countries: Disability

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether measures to meet the Sustainable Development Goals on global disability are planned for discussion during the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London.

Alistair Burt: We have been working with our Commonwealth partners to ensure that the Summit will address the Sustainable Development Goals, including those related to disability. Disability inclusion has been discussed at the summit forums this week, and people with disabilities have contributed to various discussions throughout the week.

Department for Education

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if the Government will expand the review into the educational outcomes of children in need of help or support to include the (a) employment, (b) housing and (c) health outcomes of that group of children.

Nadhim Zahawi: On 16 March 2018, the government published data and analysis as part of the Department for Education’s Children in Need Review. This included the finding that Children in Need have worse educational outcomes than their peers from the early years, make less progress throughout school, and are more likely than other children to become a young adult who is Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) three years after completing Key Stage 4. We have no plans to extend the scope of the review to consider long-term employment, housing or health outcomes. However we recognise that the factors affecting these children’s educational outcomes may also lead to other poorer outcomes which is why our data publication sets out our intention to understand the lifetime outcomes of Children in Need, including exploring the feasibility of matching the Department for Education’s Children in Need data with data from other government departments. Children’s social care and schools have a central role in supporting Children in Need, it is therefore important for us to focus the review on what we can do now whilst making progress to understand more about other outcomes over the longer-term.

Special Educational Needs: Inspections

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of Friday 26 January 2018 to Question 123604, on Special Educational Needs, if he will publish  the ministerial letters sent to local authorities inspected under the Ofsted/Care Quality Commission Special Educational Needs and Disability inspection framework, that had significant weaknesses; and what steps are being taken to monitor the progress of those local authorities that were not required to produce a Written Statement of Action.

Nadhim Zahawi: The department’s policy is for ministers to write to local authorities and Clinical Commissioning Groups in all local areas shortly after the publication of their inspection report. Ministers write again, a year later, to areas where inspectors identified significant concerns, to reflect on the progress made. These letters form part of our work to support and challenge the work of local leaders as they improve services; and to recognise where services have improved. We have no plans to publish these letters, which are copied to all relevant MPs and the Leader of the Council, but they are intended for public use. In areas where inspectors identified significant concerns, we copy the letters to all relevant MPs and the Leader of the Council. We encourage local council leaders to share the letters with their partners, including parents, to inform and support their work to improve services. Some areas, for example, Rochdale and Surrey, have published these ministerial letters and I would encourage others to do the same.We have been encouraged by the commitment of council leaders to using the local area Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) inspections as a catalyst to improve services. The government recently provided a further £29 million (in addition to £223 million since 2014) to support local authorities with ongoing implementation of the SEND reforms. The department will also continue to provide funding of £2.3 million per year for parent carer forums in 2018-19 and 2019-20, as well as specialist SEND advisers to work directly with local authorities, to hold services to account and support them to improve. In those local areas where inspectors have not requested a written statement of action, we follow up on the strengths and areas for development as part of on-going local area performance monitoring. We also draw on a wide range of intelligence, including surveys; research; and feedback, including from parents and the specialist SEND advisers. Where local area performance, such as the commissioning of services, is a particular concern, officials work closely with partners, including the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England, to engage jointly with local areas to provide support and challenge.

Schools: Southampton Itchen

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of Tuesday 27 March 2018 to Question 133298, on Schools: Southampton, what the pupil-teacher ratio, including teaching assistants, is in each state-funded (a) primary and (b) secondary school in Southampton Itchen constituency.

Nick Gibb: The attached table provides the average pupil to teacher/teaching assistant ratio in each state funded primary and secondary school in Southampton Itchen constituency in November 2016 the latest year available. November 2017 figures will be available in the summer.



Pupil to teacher/teaching assistant ratio, SI
(PDF Document, 190.58 KB)

Apprentices: Barnsley

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many apprenticeship starts there were in Barnsley in each of the last five years; and what the level was of each of those apprenticeships.

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many apprenticeship starts there were in South Yorkshire in the last five years; and what the level was of each those apprenticeships.

Anne Milton: This information is in the public domain. The tables below provide the number of apprenticeship starts in each of the last five academic years for Barnsley and South Yorkshire broken down by level as published in the ‘FE data library: further education and skills’ geography data tool: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-further-education-and-skills.Table 1: Apprenticeship starts for Barnsley by academic year Level2012/132013/142014/152015/162016/17Intermediate1,8801,9401,9001,9901,580Advanced1,2808501,0501,1201,140Higher5050110140220Barnsley Total 3,200 2,850 3,060 3,250  2,930   Yorkshire and the Humber Total59,90053,12062,55063,52061,150 Table 2: Apprenticeship starts for South Yorkshire (Barnsley, Doncaster, Sheffield and Rotherham) by academic yearLevel2012/132013/142014/152015/162016/17Intermediate8,7908,8609,5909,7608,290Advanced6,0504,6405,4605,6105,660Higher2002105107601,180South Yorkshire Total 15,040 13,730 15,560 16,130 15,140  England Total510,200440,400499,900509,400494,900 1) Volumes are rounded to the nearest 10. Volumes for South Yorkshire are aggregated here using published rounded figures for individual local authorities – Barnsley, Doncaster, Sheffield and Rotherham.2) Data obtained from the Individualised Learner Record.3) Local authority and region are based upon the home postcode of the learner. For additional geographical and level breakdowns please see the apprenticeships geography tools in the ‘FE data library’:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-apprenticeships.

Apprentices: Taxation

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the (a) total value and (b) average spend per school has been of training support derived from the apprenticeship levy to (i) multi-academy chains and (ii) local authority schools.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the apprenticeship levy in facilitating the training of apprentices in academy chains.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the apprenticeship levy in facilitating the training of apprentices in free schools.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the apprenticeship levy in facilitating the training of apprentices in local authority schools.

Nick Gibb: As with other parts of the public sector, the department will be monitoring the uptake of apprenticeships by the school workforce. Public sector bodies in scope of the public sector apprenticeships target – including schools – are required to publish annually and report to the department on their progress towards the target. The first reports (covering the period 1 April 2017 – 31 March 2018) are due by 30 September 2018. In February 2018, we published our latest assessment of costs schools incur, including the financial impact of the apprenticeship levy. We estimate that over 16,000 schools (three quarters of the total) will pay a combined apprenticeship levy of around £110 million.

Ministry of Defence

Veterans

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure soldiers back from deployment are given support to re-integrate into civilian life.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Ministry of Defence ensures that when Armed Forces personnel leave active service they are well supported to translate their acquired skills, experience and qualifications into the second career they aspire to in civilian life. The skills Service leavers possess are in demand from UK employers who recognise the benefits of bringing this talent into their organisation.To support this transition the Ministry of Defence has a robust and effective resettlement system in place which utilises the highly successful Career Transition Partnership (CTP). Of the Service personnel who left the UK Armed Forces in 2016/17 and used a billable CTP service, 82% were employed up to six months after leaving Service. The employment rate for Service leavers was higher than the 2016 employment rate for the UK population, at 75%.

Armed Forces Covenant: Northern Ireland

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if his Department will take steps ensure the full implementation of the Military Covenant in Northern Ireland.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Armed Forces Covenant has always applied throughout the UK and its specific implementation will rightly vary according to local and regional factors in the Devolved Administrations. In Northern Ireland, we continue to engage with statutory providers and the charitable sector to ensure the Armed Forces community is not disadvantaged as a result of service.Recent and ongoing examples of work to implement the Armed Forces Covenant in Northern Ireland include: the establishment of the Veterans Support Office; the allocation of £300,000 to improve the capacity and capability of Local Authorities and other service providers to apply for Covenant Funding and; supporting the University of Ulster's programme to help better understand the numbers of veterans in Northern Ireland, where they live, the key issues they face and how best to communicate with them.These initiatives build on the framework already in place through the bespoke Ulster Defence Regiment and Royal Irish Aftercare Service. Northern Irish members of the Armed Forces Community also benefit from UK-wide initiatives, such as the Veterans' Gateway.

Armed Forces: Discharges

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of early service leavers were in employment six months after discharge from the armed forces in the most recent period for which information is available.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The information requested can be found in Table 3 at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/career-transition-partnership-ex-service-personnel-employment-outcomes-financial-year-201617.The table presents employment rates, six months after leaving the Services, for UK Regular and Gurkha Early Service Leavers (ESL), who left during Financial Year (FY) 2016-17 and accessed billable employment support provided by the Career Transition Partnership. Statistics for FY 2017-18 will be published in 2019.

Ministry of Defence: Apprentices

Stephen Kerr: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many apprentices his Department directly employs.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: As of 17 April 2018, 976 Ministry of Defence civilian personnel are employed on an apprenticeship scheme. In addition, there are around 20,000 Armed Forces personnel undertaking apprenticeships at any one time.

Ministry of Defence: Recruitment

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of job roles advertised within his Department in (a) 2016 and (b) 2017 excluded the box under the Ban the Box initiative.

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's implementation plan is for banning the box on job applications.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Ministry of Defence does not ask for details of criminal convictions at the application stage for civilian roles. Applicants will be asked to declare criminal convictions either at the interview stage or when a provisional offer of employment has been made as part of basic employment checks. This was the position in 2016 and 2017.

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security: Scotland

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions,  when she next plans to meet with her counterparts in the Scottish Government to discuss that Government's progress on the timetable for the devolution of social security powers.

Alok Sharma: The Joint Ministerial Working Group on Welfare is attended by Ministers from both Governments, including the Secretary of State, and was set up to oversee the devolution of social security powers. The next meeting is due to take place before the summer recess. The Secretary of State also answered questions from the Scottish Government’s Social Security Committee at Holyrood on 16 April, regarding the timetable for the devolution of social security powers. In addition, meetings and conversations take place on an ad hoc basis between DWP and Scottish Government Ministers to discuss progress and related matters.

Social Security Benefits: Diverticulitis

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to support people with diverticulitis through the welfare system.

Sarah Newton: Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) is an income replacement benefit, available for people with health conditions or disabilities, including diverticulitis who face barriers to work. People claiming ESA are offered support through the Personal Support Package to help them move closer to the Labour Market. The package is for people with health conditions and disabilities, with a range of interventions and initiatives designed to provide support that is tailored to the individual needs of claimants. Universal Credit (UC) is replacing Income-related ESA and the linked disability premiums, including the Severe Disability Premium. This is will simplify the benefits processes and better target support. UC claimants are assigned a dedicated Work Coach to support them throughout their claim. This builds relationships and trust, and means Work Coaches can identify and address any specific needs the claimant may have as a result of their health condition. Personal Independence Payment (PIP) provides a contribution towards the extra costs that disabled people can face and is assessed on needs arising rather than being condition specific. There are currently 620 people in receipt of PIP whose main disabling condition is recorded as being diverticular disease of diverticulitis.

Personal Independence Payment

Ruth Smeeth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons personal independence payment claimants who undergo reviews 12 months in advance of their award ending have their payments stopped immediately should they fail those reviews.

Sarah Newton: Reviews of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which can be paid at one of eight rates, are a key part of the benefit and ensure that claimants continue to receive the correct level of support based on their needs. Planned reviews take place a year before the award is due to expire to ensure that the review is completed before the award goes out of payment. Following a planned review the existing award may be adjusted by the amount received and/or the award duration to reflect the current needs of the claimant. Awards may stay the same, go up, down, or cease altogether depending on the claimant’s assessed level of needs.

Employment and Support Allowance: Motor Neurone Disease

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of people in receipt of the upper rate of employment support allowance who have died of motor neurone disease since October 2016.

Sarah Newton: The Department does not hold information on cause of death.

Universal Credit

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of claimants who moved from employment and support allowance to universal credit were found to be fit for work in their work capability assessment but were later found to be eligible for benefits at (a) mandatory reconsideration stage and (b) appeal stage.

Sarah Newton: The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Department for Work and Pensions: Travellers

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General of 2 November 2016, Official Report, column 879, what progress her Department has made in using the 2011 census classifications that differentiate Gypsies and Travellers.

Kit Malthouse: I refer the Honourable Member for Stretford and Urmston to the answer given by the Right Honourable member for Gosport, Stubbington, Lee-on-the-Solent and Hill Head in response to PQ3878 which stated: “The Department does not currently report on Gypsies and Travellers separately. As a relatively small group it can be difficult to obtain reliable data for statistical analysis especially when claimants are not required to give ethnicity. The Department has raised awareness of amongst Jobcentre work coaches regarding the cultural aspects of gypsy / traveller lifestyles.”

Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 28 March 2018 to Question 133509, on Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations, how many assessment reports the Department has deemed unacceptable and returned to (a) Independent Assessment Services and (b) Centre for Health and Disability Assessments for reworking in each of the last five years.

Sarah Newton: Holding answer received on 19 April 2018



The volume of assessment reports returned to the supplier after being deemed unacceptable by the Department is covered under a contractual service level for both Centre for Health and Disability Assessments (CHDA) and Independent Assessment Services’ (IAS) contracts. The contract between DWP and CHDA started on 1 March 2015, therefore figures for CHDA is only held for the last 3 years. Each runs from March to February: CHDA have built supplier capacity over the three years of the contract and therefore completed assessments have increased year on year. While the volume of cases returned for rework have subsequently increased year on year, the proportion of cases requiring rework have reduced.  2016/142014/152015/162016/172017/18CHDA Rework Received / ClearedN/AN/A551703625 For IAS figures are available from May 2013 and are summarised by fiscal year thereafter: 2013/142014/152015/162016/172017/18IAS Rework Received / Cleared3016407481,7278,702

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Hedgehogs: Conservation

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to (a) designate hedgehogs as a protected species and (b) ensure that planning guidance takes into account the need to preserve hedgehog habitats.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Hedgehogs are listed under Schedule 6 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 so are protected from being killed using prohibited methods such as crossbows, traps and snares. We are committed, through the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan, to creating or restoring 500,000 hectares of wildlife rich habitat for the benefit of species such as the hedgehog. To designate hedgehogs as a protected species would require them to be listed under Schedule 5 of the Act. There are no plans to do so as protection of the hedgehogs’ habitat from destruction or disturbance, as defined in the Act, could mean that aspects of garden and land maintenance, or use, would constitute a criminal offence and this may have the unintended consequence of discouraging the creation of hedgehog habitat. The National Planning Policy Framework sets out the Government’s policy on planning, and states that the planning system should contribute to and enhance the natural and local environment by minimising impacts on biodiversity, including by establishing coherent ecological networks. The accompanying planning practice guidance (www.gov.uk/guidance/natural-environment) provides further advice on how this should be achieved by local planning authorities. The Government is currently consulting on amendments to the National Planning Policy Framework.

Hedgehogs: Conservation

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 March 2018 to Question 134095 on Department for Transport: Hedgehogs, what steps he is taking as species champion for the native hedgehog to make hedgehogs a protected species.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Hedgehogs are listed under Schedule 6 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 so are protected from being killed using prohibited methods such as a crossbows, traps and snares. The Government is committed, through the 25 Year Environment Plan, to creating or restoring 500,000 hectares of wildlife rich habitat for the benefit of species such as the hedgehog. To designate hedgehogs as a protected species would require them to be listed under Schedule 5 of the Act. There are no plans to do so as protection of the hedgehogs’ habitat from destruction or disturbance, as defined in the Act, could mean that aspects of garden and land maintenance would constitute a criminal offence, and this may have the unintended consequence of discouraging the creation of hedgehog habitat.

Plastic Bags: Charities

Alex Chalk: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions the Government has had with the charity sector on reducing the use of single-use plastic bags in door-to-door collections.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government has not had any discussions with the charity sector on reducing the use of single use plastic bags in door to door collections. Following a public consultation last year, the Fundraising Regulator has strengthened its Code of Practice, which requires charitable house to house collectors not to post collection bags to properties that indicate they do not wish to receive them, thus reducing the distribution of unwanted charity collection bags.Charity textile collections offer a convenient way for people to reduce their environmental impact and contribute to the 650,000 tonnes of clothing reused or recycled which might otherwise be sent to landfill, while also benefiting charitable causes.

Air Pollution

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the wind speed required to disperse (a) PM 0.1, (b) PM 1, (c) PM2.5 and (d) PM10 particles from the source from which they are emitted.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Defra has not undertaken such assessments. However, our annual assessment of air pollution in the UK uses models that take into consideration general characteristics of dispersion away from emissions sources in calculating annual concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 across the UK, and details can be found here:https://ukair.defra.gov.uk/assets/documents/reports/cat09/1709281207_AQ0650_2015_MAAQ_technical_report.pdf In addition, Defra commissions daily air quality forecasts from the Met Office that are issued on our UK Air website: https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/. These forecasts provide short term predictions of the impact of the weather (including wind direction and wind speed) on UK air quality. Forecasts are provided for the purposes of informing the public about the likelihood of elevated air pollution over the coming days alongside associated health advice.

Flood Control: Finance

James Frith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to Autumn Budget 2017, if he will list the 25 new schemes that will receive a share of the £36 million funding for flood protection; and what criteria his Department used to allocate that funding.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The £36 million of the £76 million funding announced for flood defence at the Autumn 2017 Budget has been allocated to the 37 projects in the list attached. The criteria was that each scheme needed to be a new project that could be completed in the next 3 years, that schemes needed to either generate sufficient benefits in terms of reduced flood risk to qualify for 100% Government funding or have a high confidence of securing any partnership contributions needed. 



PQ 135420 - Flood Defence Projects
(Word Document, 14.53 KB)

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Recruitment

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of job roles advertised within his Department in (a) 2016 and (b) 2017 excluded the box under the Ban the Box initiative.

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department's implementation plan is for banning the box on job applications.

George Eustice: Core Defra was already compliant with the ‘Ban the Box’ initiative when it was adopted by the Civil Service in February 2016. Therefore, in both years a) 2016 and b) 2017, 100% of advertised jobs excluded the criminal record declaration box.

European Chemicals Agency

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if the UK will remain a member of the European Chemicals Agency during the implementation period for the UK leaving the EU.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: During the time-limited implementation period, the UK will no longer be a Member State. However, as set out in the terms of the agreement, common rules will remain in place and the UK may continue to participate in the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) where the presence of the United Kingdom is necessary and is in the interests of the Union, or where the discussion concerns acts addressed to the UK and its citizens. In addition, businesses based in the UK will be able to continue to register their chemicals directly with the ECHA.

Food: Exports

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has a policy on supporting food manufacturers to sell their produce abroad.

George Eustice: The Government is committed to working with the food and drink industry, both in the UK and overseas, to raise the international profile and reputation of UK food and drink. In 2016 we launched a strategy entitled ‘International Action Plan for Food and Drink 2016 – 2020’, and last year we introduced the Food is GREAT campaign. This campaign is focused on helping food and drink companies of all sizes from across the UK to export. It runs campaigns in a range of priority markets and aims to ensure strong global recognition of UK excellence in food and drink. Food is GREAT is delivered in partnership with the Department for International Trade, VisitBritain and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. In 2017 UK food, feed and drink exports were worth £22 billion, an increase of 7.7% on 2016. In recent years UK food and drink exporting has been a success story and it will continue to be a Government priority. We see exports as an important driver of growth in the food and drink sector, allowing it to become more resilient, competitive and profitable.

Wales Office

Wales Office: Recruitment

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what proportion of job roles advertised within his Department in (a) 2016 and (b) 2017 excluded the box under the Ban the Box initiative.

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what his Department's implementation plan is for banning the box on job applications.

Stuart Andrew: The Wales Office is not an employer in its own right. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) provide employment and recruitment services on our behalf. To ensure the best possible mix of talent and remove barriers for all individuals, including ex-offenders, the MoJ fully implemented the Ban the Box initiative in October 2016. Data prior to this date is not available.

Wales Office: Living Wage

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many (a) direct employees, (b) agency staff and (c) outsourced staff working for (i) his Department and (ii) agencies of his Department are paid less than the living wage, as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.

Stuart Andrew: The Wales Office is not an employer in its own right and has no direct employees, nor does it contract for outsourced staff. Staff at the Wales Office are Ministry of Justice (MoJ) employees and agency staff are engaged through MoJ contracts. No MoJ direct employees or any agency staff working at the Wales Office are paid less than the living wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.

Wales Office: Travellers

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General of 2 November 2016, Official Report, column 879, and pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2018 to Question 134113, on Travellers: Equality, what meetings he has had since 2016 with the Minister for the Cabinet Office on using the 2011 census classifications that differentiate Gypsies and Travellers.

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General of 2 November 2016, Official Report, column 879, what progress his Department has made in using the 2011 census classifications that differentiate Gypsies and Travellers.

Stuart Andrew: The Department has no policy responsibility in relation to Gypsies and Travellers in Wales. The Race Disparity Audit website displays data where possible using the Census 2011 ethnic categories, which includes Gypsy or Irish Traveller. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the Race Disparity Unit work closely together to further progress the harmonisation of ethnicity data across the Government Statistical Service (GSS) and to improve the coverage of ethnic groups including Gypsy, Roma and Travellers. The Race Disparity Audit Inter Ministerial Group chaired by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster discusses matters pertaining to the progress of the Race Disparity Audit, including the collection of ethnicity data.

Cabinet Office

Carillion: Insolvency

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of hours worked by officials of his Department on assessing and dealing with the effects of Carillion entering liquidation and the transfer of Government contracts formerly held by that company.

Oliver Dowden: This information is not available.

Interserve

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the position of Crown Representative to Interserve was vacant during any periods in the last two years.

Oliver Dowden: The Crown Representative for Interserve was appointed in September 2014. The post has not been vacant at any point in the last two years.

Cabinet Office: Public Expenditure

Tom Brake: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Written Statement of 13 March 2018, Spring Statement, HCWS 540, if he will publish a list of where the £49.4 million in EU exit funding for his Department will be allocated.

Mr David Lidington: My department has been allocated £49.4 million for essential EU Exit preparations in 2018-19. This will be spent on work to ensure departments have access to the specialist resource needed to deliver a successful EU Exit. As with all Reserve funding, finalised allocations will be confirmed at Supplementary Estimates 2018-19 in early 2019.

Government Departments: Travellers

Kate Green: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2018 to Question 134113, what progress (a) his Department and (b) the Race Disparity Inter-ministerial Group has made to ensure that government departments not currently collecting data based on the 2011 census classification for Gypsy Roma or Traveller start using those classifications.

Kate Green: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the response from Marcus Bell, Director, Race Disparity Audit, on 7 February 2018 to Q143 from the Women and Equalities Committee Oral Evidence: Race Disparity Audit, HC 5462, that none of the reasons given means that going forward there is nothing that can be done, what steps his Department is taking to include Gypsy, Roma and Travellers in the Race Disparity Audit data.

Mr David Lidington: The ethnicity data published on the Ethnicity Facts and Figures website includes data from the Census, published official statistics, numerous Government surveys and Departments’ own administrative records.Currently, the website has 48 measures (web pages) that present data using the detailed classification of ethnicity developed for the 2011 Census, which includes Irish Traveller and Gypsy/Roma Travellers (GRT). However, figures for the GRT ethnic group in some of these measures were suppressed for reasons of confidentiality protection and/or because the numbers were too small to enable robust estimates to be produced.We continue to work with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and Government Departments to identify methods to improve ethnicity data collection, consistency and how best to address data gaps for ethnic groups including GRT.

Ministers: Correspondence

Hywel Williams: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what procedures are in place for Ministers to respond appropriately to correspondence from children and young people.

Mr David Lidington: Government Departments have worked with the Welsh Language Commissioner to develop their schemes.Under the principle of equality, departments will write in Welsh to an individual, group or organisation which they know works mainly in Welsh, or which has already notified us that it prefers to receive letters in Welsh. It will also respond in Welsh following a face-to face meeting or telephone call conducted in Welsh where follow-up correspondence is required (unless they have indicated they would prefer a response in English).

Water: Death

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many water related fatalities there were in (a) the North East and (b) England in each year since 2010.

Chloe Smith: Holding answer received on 19 April 2018



The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply. 



UKSA Response 
(PDF Document, 164.25 KB)

Sovereignty: Scotland

Deidre Brock: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the (a) set-up and (b) running costs were for the Government's (i) twitter account @youdecide2014, (ii) website www.youdecide2014.uk, (iii) facebook page @youdecide2014 and (iv) Buzzfeed user YouDecide2014.

Chloe Smith: There were no set up or running costs for the Government's twitter account, @youdecide2014, Facebook page @youdecide2014, and Buzzfeed user YouDecide2014.The website; www.youdecide2014.uk, was built in-house for free and set up costs (domains, security testing, load testing, hosting, security certificates) were approximately £3500.

Treasury

Debts: Sovereignty

Andrew Rosindell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on the sovereignty and independence of states of high levels of debt.

Elizabeth Truss: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has recently reported that almost 40% of Low Income Countries (LICs) now face significant debt-related challenges, up from 21% in 2013. The Government recognises that rising sovereign debt levels have led to increased debt vulnerabilities in many LICs.Though the Government has not made its own assessment of the effect of high debt levels on the sovereignty and independence of states, high levels of debt can leave countries exposed to adverse exogenous shocks, like fluctuating commodity prices. Given the complex international nature of LIC sovereign debt, we continue to believe that internationally-agreed assessments and coordinated approaches to tackle debt vulnerability are most effective. The UK will continue to work through fora such as the IMF, World Bank, G20, and the Paris Club to promote LIC debt sustainability.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Public Expenditure

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Written Statement of 13 March 2018, Spring Statement, HCWS 540, if he will publish a list of where the £26.2 million in EU exit funding for his Department will be allocated.

Margot James: DCMS has been allocated £26.2m in 2018/19 to fund preparations for leaving the EU. This is designed to cover essential EU exit spending for staff working on the department’s critical areas.

S4C

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when the Government plans to publish the report relating to the funding of Welsh language channel S4C.

Margot James: DCMS ministers and officials regularly meet with a range of stakeholders, including the Press Recognition Panel, to discuss a range of issues.

Mobile Phones: Motorways

Luke Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what his Department's timescale is for eliminating mobile phone not-spots on motorways.

Luke Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what his Department's timescale is for eliminating mobile phone not-spots on A and B roads in Scotland.

Margot James: The action taken by mobile operators as a result of the 2014 agreement with Government, has helped to improve coverage on the UK's roads. We recognise that there is further to go, which is why the Government has a Manifesto commitment to deliver full and uninterrupted mobile phone signal on all major roads by 2022.

Press Recognition Panel

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when he next plans to meet the Press Recognition Panel.

Margot James: DCMS ministers and officials regularly meet with a range of stakeholders, including the Press Recognition Panel, to discuss a range of issues.

Data Protection

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he plans to convene a (a) conference call or (b) meeting on the implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation with the National Association of Local Councils; and if he will make a statement.

Margot James: Officials from DCMS met with a representative from the National Association of Local Councils on 3 April 2018 to discuss the implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation.